Eternally Yours Sequel to Everlasting Breath
by Victoria Dawn
Summary: This is the 3rd book in the Victoria Dawn series...I hope you enjoy it. :
1. Chapter 1: Old Home Renewed

Eternally Yours

Chapter 1: Old Home Renewed

My father and Dante had been working for at least a month on the new house they were building and our wedding was approaching very quickly.

It was already mid-April and we had the ceremony planned for June second.

My mother had agreed to be my maid of honor and Nikki would remain my flower girl. Xavier decided he would love to be the ring-bearer and I was on the scout for new friends that would want to be my bridesmaids.

"Hey, Allison!" I said cheerfully into the phone.

"Hi. Is this Victoria?" She asked skeptically.

"Yeah, it's me! How have you been?!"

"I've been just great. How are you?"

"Never been better. Listen, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming over today with Michelle."

"That would be great! When are you expecting us to be over?"

"Anytime you guys want. It really doesn't matter. Actually, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind being two of my bridesmaids."

The phone went silent for a second and then she answered excitedly, "That would be wonderful!"

"Okay then, I suppose I'll see you soon!"

"Yes, we'll be over right after I let her know."

"Sounds good to me! Bye, Allison."

"Bye, Victoria."

I put the phone down back on its hook and contemplated who to call next. Maybe I should try to call Summer and Melissa next.

"Mom, do you think I should try to call more girls I know?"

"If you want to, sweetie. Invite whoever you want. It will only be your close friends though, right?"

"Well, these are the girls who were helping out when everything was going on with Xavier. I really appreciated their support and I guess it's sort of my way of thanking them."

"Well then, sure, call whoever you want. Just don't be disappointed if they turn you down."

"Of course not. I'm sure they wouldn't mind, anyway. If they're coming to the wedding, they might as well be in it, don't you think?" I asked with a sly smile.

"I guess you're right."

I picked the phone back up and thumbed through Dante's phone book, searching for the names I needed.

I dialed the number and waited for a moment. It rang a couple times until Nicholas answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Nicholas? It's Victoria."

"Oh! Hey there, girl!"

"How are you?"

"I'm doing just great, how are you?"

"Great. Listen, do you mind if I speak with Melissa?"

"Sure, no problem, I'll get her right on."

"Thanks!"

I waited a minute and I could hear talking on the other end of the phone. It sounded like Melissa was pretty excited about getting to talk to me.

"Victoria!" She screamed in the other end of the phone. I pulled it away from my ear, wincing.

"Hi, Melissa," I said calmly.

"And what makes you call me?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight. Well, I mean you, Summer, Nicholas, and Christopher. That is, if you wanted."

"Of course! When do you want us over?!"

"Whenever you guys want. And just to let you know, everything is fine, so this is a happy occasion," I laughed.

She giggled back, "That's good. I wasn't that worried, but can I ask why you want us to come over?"

"Well, I was actually wondering if I could talk to you guys about Dante and I's wedding. I need a couple more bridesmaids and was wondering if you guys would like to fill the spots."

"Well, I'll talk to Summer about it, but I'd love to!"

"That sounds great. So, I'll see you soon?"

"Yep! You'll see us soon!"

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and stared at my mom for a second. She was smiling brightly and so was I, knowing that tonight would be great.

"So, should we get everything ready?" My mom asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good!" I said, jumping out of my chair and running out of the room. I knew we had to set up for the "dinner" we would be having. I needed to set up some candles and make sure that everything looked perfect.

Knowing that we couldn't have an actual dinner, I decided just to make the dining room look extra special. I would be eating, of course, but no one else would.

"I'm so excited, mom! You have no idea!" I said, running around the room like a maniac.

"I can see that. Maybe you better slow down, Vic. Let's not get too excited here," she said, placing a candle in the middle of the table.

"And why shouldn't I be completely ecstatic?!"

"I'm not saying you shouldn't be excited, I'm just saying that I don't want you to be disappointed if things don't work out your way."

"Mom, I couldn't be happier right now. If someone says no, or if all of them say no, it won't bother me one bit."

"If you say so."

"Well, I'm done here," I laughed, staring at the table. It had taken me nearly ten minutes to set up candles and light them, and make sure everything looked perfect. Of course, it wasn't that hard with Dante living here. He always cleaned and made sure everything was flawless.

"Do you want to go check on your father and Dante?"

"Sure, we can see what Xavier and Nikki are doing, too."

We both walked out of the back door together, one after the other, and ran toward the house they were building. They were doing a great job, and fast too. The house looked almost exactly like the one I grew up in, which hurt a little, but I knew that it would be the greatest present for my mother.

"It looks good, huh?" I asked, staring at the house.

I glanced over and saw a tear roll down my mom's face. I put my arm around her and she leaned her head on my shoulder, whimpering lightly.

"It's perfect," she muttered.

"I knew this would make you happy. Maybe this is just what you need to be okay with this new life."

"Maybe it is."

"Victoria! Destiny!" Dante said, running over to us. He grabbed me by my waist and picked me up, spinning me around and kissing me passionately.

"What was that for?" I asked as he put me down.

"I just wanted to say 'hello, beautiful,'" he said, kissing me again.

"You're too sweet," I whispered, looking down.

"So, what do you think of the house?" He asked my mom, grabbing my hand.

"It looks great, Dante. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. You know, we're doing this for you."

"Yeah, I know. I appreciate it a lot. I'll have that special place back in my life with the special people I love so dearly," she said, looking to me and then to my dad.

He stepped off the ladder and walked over, grabbing my mom by the waist.

He whispered something in her ear but I decided not to listen. It was probably personal, anyway. Whatever it was, it made her smile the biggest smile I've ever seen.

"Where are the kids?" I asked, looking around.

"They wanted to run through the woods together. Xavier shape-shifted into a cat and Nikki went chasing after him. It was pretty cute," Dante said.

"That's funny. You know, at least Xavier is embracing his powers. I'm glad we still have him."

"Me too, my love."

"Now, Victoria, what is this about people coming over tonight?" My dad asked, looking confused.

"Oh, I'm having a few friends over to ask if they would like to be my bridesmaids in our wedding."

"Oh, okay. I was just wondering."

"Who are you inviting?" Dante asked.

"Allison, Michelle, Summer, and Melissa," I answered.

"Well, I'm glad that you're trying to make some new friends," he said, looking down at me.

"Yeah, I know. I figure I should just ask them to be in the wedding if they're going to come anyway, you know?"

"I guess that makes sense."

"Oh! I forgot to bring out the dresses!" I realized.

"Oh! Let's go do that now before they show up!" My mom perked up.

"Okay, well, we're going to get back to work."

"Okay, have fun, you guys. And Dante, Christopher and Nicholas are coming too, just to let you know."

"I already knew," he said, winking at me.

My mom and I ran back to the house and through the back door, skipping up the staircase together. I walked into my room and into the closet, grabbing two of the bridesmaid dresses. My mom grabbed the other two and we walked back downstairs, placing the dresses on the dining room table.

"There we go," I said, smoothing them out.

"These are beautiful dresses. Do you think they'll fit into them, though?"

"Well, I just wanted to see which style they like the most, you know? Then we'll get them in their sizes. I wouldn't doubt that they're all a size zero though," I laughed.

"I've never met them. They're nice girls, I suppose?"

"Yeah, they're really nice. They wanted to help me when April wanted to kill Xavier, as I've said before. I owe them much more than letting them be in my wedding."

"Well, I hope it all works out. I know this wedding will be beautiful."

"Yeah, and to be honest, I don't even know what type of decorations Dante picked out."

"And why's that?"

"Well, that was right after I found out I was a darkling. I wasn't sure what to do and I spent a lot of time by myself. I tried to figure out my powers, but I wasn't having much luck and I wasn't really interested in the wedding."

"Why weren't you interested?" She said in a worried tone.

"Because I thought you weren't going to be there," I answered, looking down solemnly.

She walked over and grabbed me by my shoulders. "Well, I'm here now, so let's make this a wonderful wedding."

"I agree," I said, nodding.

We decided to wait in the living room and watch TV until the others got here. We sat in silence, but laughed at the old shows that Dante had on tape. Considering there weren't any humans left, I wasn't really sure how everything was still running so smoothly.

Wouldn't I run out of food soon? Wouldn't the electricity turn off soon? Would Dante and the other vampires die without the blood they needed?

My head swarmed with questions, but I knew I probably wouldn't get my answers until the time came.

I think my mom could tell I was a little distant, so she kept glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. I listened to her thoughts and she was thinking about what I was thinking.

_What's wrong with her? I wonder if she's worried about the wedding. I hope everything goes well; we wouldn't want another tragedy around here. I hope she believes I'm being a better mother now than I was. I'm really starting to get used to being this vampire creature, and it really doesn't feel different than being human…_

Her thoughts went on for hours until it started to turn night. The moonlight poured in through the window and into the living room. I turned around on the couch, pushing the curtain aside and staring up at the sky.

"It's beautiful, tonight," I said.

"Night is always the most beautiful time of the day," my mom whispered, sitting beside me.

We sat there for awhile, just staring in silence until I heard a few hard pounds on the front door, making me jump almost ten feet off of the couch.

"Wow, that scared the crap out of me!" I laughed, striding toward the door.

I opened it and saw Chris, Nick, Summer, and Melissa standing in front of me.

I smiled widely and extended my arm out, meaning for them to walk into the house.

They walked in one-by-one and entered our home, taking a turn into the living room.

I met up with them and pointed to my mother, "This is my mom, Destiny. Mom, this is Nick, Chris, Summer, and Melissa," I said politely, pointing to each of them. They all nodded their heads and said "hi" to each other, smiling.

Summer seemed oddly happy tonight and she was dressed very brightly compared to the last time I saw her. I was quite a good change.

I brought all of the girls into the dining room and told the guys that Dante and my dad were out back. They left and we all took our seats at the large table, smiling at one-another.

"Wow, it's so nice to see you again, Victoria," Melissa said.

"I know, it's good to see you two again, as well."

"So, why are we here, again?" Summer asked, crossing her arms.

"I wanted to ask you two if you wouldn't mind being a part of my wedding. I picked out some dresses I thought you might like and I was also wondering if I could get your opinion on your favorite one."

"Honestly, Victoria, I usually hate being a part of weddings, but for you, I suppose I can make an exception," Summer said sarcastically.

"I appreciate it a lot, Summer. I needed to find some way to repay you guys for all that you have done for me, and I figured, what better way?"

"Well, we appreciate it as well, don't we?" Melissa said, elbowing Summer in her side.

"Ow! Yeah, we do," she said, rubbing her ribs.

Tonight was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2: New Friends

Chapter 2: New Friends

"I like this one, personally," Melissa said, pointing to a dress. I agreed, it was my favorite, though I was still going to give them their own choice. Allison and Michelle still hadn't arrived yet, but I wasn't about to give up hope; maybe they were just having different opinions about being in my wedding.

"Yeah, I agree, I like this one, too," Summer said.

"It is very beautiful," my mom chimed in. The dress was a deep red and looked as though it were made of silk. The bodice was almost a corset with black lace going up the front and the skirt was an a-line, fitting beautifully to any body type. I wasn't too worried about my bridesmaids looking pretty, knowing that they were flawless in their day-time clothes.

"Would you guys like to try it on?" I asked.

"Sure!" Melissa almost jumped in the air. She snatched the dress off the table and ran up the stairs like she was a deer.

"Just go into our bedroom!" I shouted, laughing.

Just as I heard our door close, I heard the back door open. The men had returned and the kids were following close behind.

"Hey, you," Dante said, kissing me lightly.

"How the hell do you work all day but come home smelling like roses?" I laughed, staring at him.

"I guess it's just one of the perks of being a vampire," he winked.

"Victoria! This dress is beau-" Melissa shouted, coming to a stop at the end of the stairs. She stared at the men surrounding her and I was sure that if she could have blushed, now would have been the time for it.

I walked over with my mouth hung open, almost having to clear the drool from my bottom lip. She looked breathtakingly perfect. The dress accentuated her curves flawlessly and fit her like a dream. I was beyond happy with the outcome.

"Wow, you look amazing," I said breathless.

"Thanks," she whispered, looking to the ground in front of her.

"Oh. My. God," Christopher said, walking slowly toward her and taking her into his arms. They sighed at each other and kissed deeply, causing me to look away.

"Summer, do you want to try it on now?" Melissa asked, a huge smile plastered across her face.

"Sure, I guess," she said, walking to her friend and following her up the large staircase.

"I'm so glad we picked that dress, mom!" I shrieked with joy, jumping into the air.

"I am too; it really does fit her marvelously."

"Would you prefer us leaving?" Dante asked me, taking my hand.

"Of course not! You guys can stay if you want, I mean, I'm just showing them the dresses and they're going to try them on."

He looked around for a moment and then back down to me. "Where are Allison and Michelle?"

"I'm not too sure. I decided not to look for them, maybe they just need time."

"Yeah, it's good to give them some privacy."

"I agree."

We waited for a moment, talking amongst ourselves, glancing to the stairs to see if they were coming down yet.

Finally, after feeling like we had waited forever and a half, Summer skipped down the stairs, her face as calm as stone. It was odd seeing her body flow so beautifully, but her face stay serious the entire time.

Melissa trailed behind with the same smile on her face she'd had the whole night.

Her body looked just as picture perfect as Melissa's had and I was sure that this would be the dress. We honestly didn't even need Michelle and Allison to show up to try it on; my mind was set.

"So, how do you like it?" I asked her.

She crossed her arms for a moment and then a smirk grew on the corner of her pink lips.

"It looks really good on me," she finally said.

"Just good? That's all you feel about it?" I laughed.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes, "it looks great. Happy, now?" She laughed for the first time since I'd met her. It almost sounded like music, echoing off of the high ceilings in our home. She covered her mouth, embarrassed, and went back to being serious again.

"Why don't you like to laugh?" I asked, realizing that had really come out of my mouth.

"Why does it matter?"

"I'm just curious. You have a really cute laugh."

"Well, thank you, but you would understand if you knew me better."

I glanced over to Melissa and she closed her eyes, nodding her head slowly. What could she be hiding? I thought for a moment about going through her thoughts, but stopped myself, promising that I would find out later once we became better friends.

"So, this is the dress then," my mom stated, grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Yeah, this is the dress. I think they both look completely wonderful in it, don't you?"

"They look like angels," she said, giving Summer and "up-and-down."

Nick walked over and hugged Summer, just as Chris had done with Melissa and the guys left the room. Dante kissed my forehead before walking away and looked back, winking.

"I really wonder where Michelle and Allison are though. I'm kind of worried to be honest," I muttered.

"Well, maybe you should try looking for them," Summer said blankly.

I closed my eyes and found Michelle's presence, searching for her. I couldn't find her at first, but then I saw her talking to a man. He was almost just a dark shadowy figure, but I could see his pale skin. I couldn't tell where they were, but she had such a pained look on her face that it just made me worry even more.

"Do you see them?" My mom interrupted. My eyes shot open and I wrinkled my forehead, staring straight ahead.

"Well, where are they?" Summer chimed in.

"I don't know. I saw Michelle, but she was with some guy and she looked really upset. I couldn't tell where they were, either."

"That's odd. I've never seen Michelle with a man before; especially without Allison by her side," Summer's face turned pained.

I walked through the girls and into the living, room, staring at Dante. He looked over and he could tell something was wrong. After a split second, all of the men were staring at me, their eyes burning a hole into my skin.

_What is the problem, sweetie?_ He asked.

_I don't know where Michelle is. She was with a dark man and I couldn't tell where they were. She looked upset; I'm really worried now._

_I'll try looking for her._

_Okay._

I waited in his mind and watched his thoughts flow wildly. He found her in the same state I did and I watched his face as it twisted, growing angry.

_What's wrong? _I asked anxiously.

_She's with John._

_And what's that mean?_

_That means that this war hasn't ended yet, Victoria._

_What?! What are you talking about?! I killed April!_

_But we let the rest of the elders go free. They must be furious._

_But I thought we had a pact! I thought you talked to them! Dante, what's going on?! What's he saying to her?!_

_It looks as though he is trying to sway her opinion. I cannot tell, but she isn't happy about it._

_I can see that but I just don't understand this. How could they go against us again? I thought they hated April!_

_Yes, they hated April, but they didn't necessarily hate her views on our world._

_What do you mean?_

_They liked that she was going to be a ruler. They want someone to keep order around here, and she was all for the business of it._

_Well, I thought we were going to do that._

_We haven't exactly taken the first steps into reigning, my love._

_I know but, I still don't understand all of this._

_I don't really either, but hopefully we can get this all worked out before another fight breaks out._

_Yeah, I hope so too. I hate hurting people, Dante. It's not what I want to use my powers for._

_I know exactly how you feel, love, but we must deal with this._

_Can you tell where they are?_

_Not really, but maybe your dad can. It seems as though our powers have more holes than his do._

_That's true. Dad? Are you listening?_

_Yeah, kid, do you want me to try to find where they are?_

_If you could; that'd be great._

_It looks like they're at the mansion. Why can't you see that?_

_They're in the mansion?! I don't know why I can't see that, dad. This is so frustrating!_

_I'm sorry, sweetie. I stole some of your powers, but I didn't mean it._

_Don't feel bad, Dante. It's not your fault._

_Anyway, shouldn't we be leaving soon, you guys? _My dad shouted.

_Yeah, you're right, dad. We should get going. I want to see what's going on; it's driving me crazy!_

_Okay, let's inform the others of what is happening._

"What the hell are you guys doing?!" Chris shouted.

"Sorry, we were finding where Michelle and Allison were. Apparently, we still have some problems with the left-over elders," Dante said, looking to all of the people around him. My mother's face turned even paler; yes, it was possible. And Melissa and Summer looked emotionless.

"What are you talking about, Dante?" Chris asked again.

"It seems that John is trying to convince Michelle of something, but whatever it is seems to be making her terribly upset. I want to see what is going on, as does Victoria and her father."

"So, the elders think they still own control over us?" Nick said.

"That is apparently so. I guess that Victoria and I haven't taken the right steps yet, so they feel it is necessary to turn our friends against us."

"But that doesn't make sense! I don't get why these people keep coming after you guys! You have done nothing but be sincere to all of us and more than gracious for our company," Melissa yelled, stamping her foot.

"Maybe we should go and see what's going on," I muttered, pulling Dante's arm.

"I agree. Destiny, would you prefer to come, or look over the children?"

Xavier and Nikki's faces turned to hell and I could see that they really wanted to come. I wanted them to be there too, but as I was feeling more like a mother, I was feeling more like I had to protect them.

"Why can't we come?" Nikki shouted, standing up.

"Yeah, I wanna come! Vikki, why can't we go?!" Xavier jumped up and down.

"I want you guys to come, but I don't want to put you in danger, okay?" I asked, crouching down and hugging them.

"I'll be fine, Victoria, you know I can handle myself," Nikki whispered in my ear.

"But Xavier isn't ready yet. I need you to stay here with him. Please, Nikki?"

She sighed heavily and looked down, nodding.

My mom agreed to stay as well and we all walked outside, making a line of people.

I looked over to Dante and closed my eyes, taking his hand.

"I love you, everything will be fine, I promise you this," he said softly.

"I know, I love you too," I said back.

And with that, we departed back to the oh-so-familiar mansion that I now hated.


	3. Chapter 3: Remaining Elders

Chapter 3: Remaining Elders

We walked upon the large house, the scenery looking completely ominous. I almost shivered as the wind whipped around, bending the trees in different directions.

I just couldn't understand why these people couldn't just give it up. It was quite odd, but I'd noticed that vampires really were just like regular humans. There were some evil, and some good, and others just existed.

I glanced over to Dante but he just stared forward, striding at a steady pace. We almost reached the door but I grabbed some wind and blew it open, breaking the hinges.

I let go of Dante's hand and ran up the stone stairs and through the door, looking around angrily. I whipped through a couple of hallways until I found them in the kitchen.

John was grabbing Allison's arm and pulling her toward him as she sobbed lightly. I couldn't understand what was going on here. It was all much too confusing.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted, clenching my fists at my side. Dante appeared in an instant, as did my father and the rest of our friends.

John spun his head around, baring his teeth to me and growling. Dante took a fighting stance, mirroring John's expression. The other did the same, except my father, of course.

"Let her go before this gets ugly," Dante muttered through his teeth.

"Give me one good reason."

"She hasn't done anything to you. Let. Her. Go."

"And how do you know what she has done?!" He yelled, grabbing Allison's throat. I heard her gurgle and knew that Dante wasn't going to put up with this. I growled back and he shot me a glance, easing his grip on her a bit.

"Why does it matter?! Let her go. Now," he snarled again.

"I will not let her go. You have no idea what she has done!"

"Let her go! She can't breathe!" Melissa shouted, her voice cracking.

"This doesn't concern you!" He said, tightening his fingers. Allison's face started to turn whiter-almost translucent and she opened her mouth, venom running down her chin.

I grabbed his fingers with my mind, pulling them backwards, snapping his index finger.

He screamed loudly and I smirked at him, turning my head. He understood that if he didn't stop, all of his fingers would be mangled.

"Okay, okay!" He said, releasing his hand and backing away. Allison quickly grabbed her throat, rubbing up and down.

"What the hell is this all about, anyway?" I asked.

"I said, this doesn't concern you, Victoria."

"Why are you two the only ones here?! This doesn't make any sense at all!"

"We have personal matters we must attend to. Now, leave us be!" He yelled, grabbing her throat again.

"You let her go or I swear-" I said through my teeth. I started to pull one of his fingers back until I felt the bone giving and he let go, giving me an evil look.

"Let. Us. Be," he muttered. I stared wide-eyed as I watched his body start to bubble and take a new form. What the hell was this guy?!

His face turned bright red and his hands turned into claws-long, sharp nails protruding from his fingers. I stepped back and almost hid behind Dante, peaking my head around his shoulder.

I started breathing heavily, feeling my lungs being crushed under an unknown pressure. I held them in place, but his grip was much too strong. Horns began to emerge from the top of his head and scales covered his bare skin. He had stolen my form-the form of a dragon.

He reached his hands up to the sky and let out a fierce growl, bringing his face back down to look at me.

His back almost touched the ceiling as he stared at me, glistening in the pale light from the candles. His scales sparkled brilliantly with a crimson color and his eyes were a piercing yellow.

Once again, I felt the pain in my lungs. I felt like he was trying to rip them out of my body through my throat. I gasped and grabbed Dante's shirt, dropping to the ground behind him.

He spun around and caught me before I passed out, scooping me into his arms. Everything was a blur and all I could see were John's eyes burning into my skull.

"What have you done to her?!" I heard Dante scream, sounding like an echo inside of my mind. I was done, I was completely spent. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, and I couldn't protect myself. It was way too much for me to handle.

"Let go of her!" My dad yelled, changing into a different animal. My sight was too blurry and I couldn't make out what he was, but I could hear him growl.

I heard the cries of two different creatures and the rips of skin, but I couldn't make out who was who.

I felt myself fading as he clenched harder to my lungs. I felt like I was ripping in half, but I tried as hard as I could to pull him away. There was no use. I knew I was done for.

Dante cradled me, but he knew he couldn't help. I could feel his weak attempts at grasping John's hands off of my organs, but he just wasn't strong enough.

I started to feel wet and realized that my love was crying onto my dead body. He brought me up to his face and he kissed me, but I couldn't kiss back. I couldn't feel him and I was scared.

For all of my life, I'd been the strong one, but was this how it was going to end? I just didn't get it. I didn't get what we were fighting about, I didn't get why everyone hated me, and I didn't get why I had to be the one to die today.

How could my story end like this-in agony and betrayal? I had always loved everyone, and now it seemed like it was coming back to haunt me for some reason.

I just wanted a happy life. I wanted children and a wonderful husband. I wanted my parents to be together again-but I guess I've always wanted a little too much.

I started to see light, although I knew the mansion was dimly lit. I reached my hand up to touch it, but it morphed into Dante's face. His eyes were blood-shot and his cheeks were stained with tears, but he didn't look at me; he looked through me.

I thought I had died, but I could still feel the pain in my body. I ached everywhere and I could still feel the hard grip the dragon held on me. I tried to look around, but all I could see was him. I could only see his bright green eyes filled with sadness and loss.

I tried to talk, but nothing came out; I tried to yell, but my screams were caught on my lips. I just wanted to tell him that I loved him, but my body wouldn't let me. I just wanted him to know that he was forever mine. I wanted to let him know every feeling I'd ever felt for him-but it was too late now. I felt like I was never going to come back, and I believed that I wouldn't.

"Please don't die," he whispered. I wanted to cry and tell him that I was trying, but there was no breath left in me.

Slowly, I gave up my fight, letting the dragon's nails pierce into my lungs and take away my final breath.

I tried to keep my eyes open to show Dante that I didn't want to leave, but they closed faster than I could even attempt. Darkness consumed me and I was running through a tunnel trying to find my light at the end.

I didn't feel any more pain in my body, but my mind was filled with so much hurt and agony that I tripped and fell right before I reached the brightness. A dark figure approached me and I tried to get up, but he held me down, telling me to be quiet that that everything would be okay.

I recognized his voice, but I just couldn't get it through my mind who it was.

The light wrapped around his head and consumed him, showing his true self-Dante. My love had come to save me; but how is he here? Aren't I dead? I thought it was the end of me.

"Victoria," he whispered, "I love you."

I opened my mouth to talk, but nothing came out. I started to cry but he walked away, extending his arm out to me, flying up into the light that I wanted so badly. I curled up, pulling my knees up to my face and soaked my jeans with my tears.

Where was I? Why did Dante leave me here in the dark? Why can't I just reach the light?

"Victoria! Victoria! Wake up, sweetie!" It sounded like someone was singing me a song, but I looked around and no one was there. I tried to reach into my head to pull my former self back into reality. I found my old body curled into the corner of my mind, sobbing and crying to herself.

"Get up!" I screamed, "You have to go home!" She perked her head up and wiped away her tears, nodding.

I opened my eyes slowly and found myself lying on the ground. A few people were huddled around me, but my eyesight was too blurry to tell who they were. An instant pain crept into my body, making me wince. My torso felt like it was on fire and my lungs couldn't hold any air in them.

"She's awake!" Someone said cheerfully.

"Back away, let's see if she can hold any air in her lungs," another voice said sternly.

I tried to breathe but just sat there.

"She can't breathe! Damien, help her!"

Just then, I felt hands grasping my lungs lightly, trying to pull them back together, it seemed. I started to feel myself breathing again, but it was only quick, short breaths. I heard a sigh of relief, but I knew that I wouldn't be well for a very long time. I was completely broken.

The hands were moving my lungs, making me inhale and exhale perfectly, but once they would back away, I couldn't seem to do it myself.

Once I had enough air, I tried to talk.

"I. Can't. Do. It. By myself," I whispered, breathlessly.

"What's wrong with her?! Help her!" I heard Dante shout again.

"I am! There's only so much I can do, Dante!" My dad screamed.

He helped, yes, but I knew that he wouldn't be able to help me forever.

I tried to muster up the rest of the strength left in my body and I tried to mend my organs, sowing them shut where they were torn apart. I was just astonished that I was still "alive."

"She's helping herself. She'll be just fine," my dad muttered, backing his hands away. It was easier to breath now, but I knew I shouldn't try to sit up yet.

I needed to understand why all of this was happening, because it was really starting to get on my nerves. I've been threatened with death too many times in this past year, and frankly, I'm done with it.


	4. Chapter 4: Awaited Information

Chapter 4: Awaited Information

I clenched my chest and tried to sit up-my face twisting in agony. I could feel my father's hands start to take hold of my lungs again, making sure they were functioning properly.

"Are you okay?" Dante asked, grabbing my face.

I shook my head from side to side and closed my eyes, feeling more pain.

"We have to get her home. She'll be better there," my dad said.

Just then, Dante scooped me up, ran outside, and transferred us home. He ran into the house and laid me on the couch while I winced. Every move he made on our way here hurt and I just couldn't seem to get my breathing under control.

"She's still not breathing right," Dante said, kneeling beside me and taking my hand.

My dad appeared above me and extended his hands out over my torso, closing his eyes and wrinkling his forehead. I started to feel warmth on my lungs and slowly but surely, I was cured just as fast as I was broken. To say the least, I felt great.

But just as I felt relief, my dad fell backwards, catching himself before he hit the ground. He grabbed his chest and breathed heavily and I ran over, supporting his back.

"What's wrong?!" I asked loudly, looking around to everyone.

"I'm fine, kid. Just give me a minute to breathe," he whispered. He bent down with his hands on his knees and inhaled deeply. "Healing someone takes a lot out of you-especially someone with the injuries that you had."

"I'm sorry!" I said, spinning in front of him, hugging him tightly. "Thanks for saving me though…"

"Of course I was going to save you! Dante, what exactly is going on here?"

"It has begun," he said softly.

"What are you talking about?" I said anxiously, looking at my father and then back at Dante.

"The thirst has begun. Soon, the strong will kill the weak. I knew this would happen," he muttered, putting his hands over his face.

"Dante, what are you talking about?!"

"Seeing as there aren't any humans left, the vampires will start to become extremely thirsty. They may start killing each other off."

"But I thought you said we could survive without drinking blood!"

"We can survive, but the problem is whether some of us have the will power or not."

"But I don't understand. I thought vampires were only full of venom. Where did the blood come from?"

"Our bodies run off of blood, but we manufacture venom. I guess we're kind of like snakes, in a way."

"So, people are going to start killing each other because they're going to get too thirsty to take it anymore?"

He nodded, "Exactly."

"Oh no, this isn't good at all," my mom muttered. I felt her pain. Seeing as she had only just been turned-there was no way she'd be strong enough to fend off any senior vampire.

I was only waiting for something like this to happen. I knew my questions would turn up with answers somewhere, and it was only more frustrating that those answers were going to have terrible outcomes.

"Well, who out of all of us do we have to worry about the most?" I asked, keeping my head in the game. If people were going to come after us, we would certainly need to protect ourselves.

"Your mother is the most vulnerable right now, but I wouldn't worry, Destiny, we will all protect you," Dante said, grabbing her shoulder. Nikki stared up at her, teary-eyed, but I didn't pay much attention. It was sad, but it was almost like I was getting used to be disappointed and betrayed by everything I had once known.

"Vic, are you gonna be okay, kid?" My dad asked, waving his hand in front of my face.

"You know, I just want things to go smoothly for one time-but it seems like I'll never really truly be happy."

"Don't say that, my love. All will be well soon."

"You always say that, and it seems like every time you say that, something else goes wrong."

"I'm sorry, but I guess I'm just optimistic."

"Well, how are we going to get through this, Dante? Answer me that. How are we going to survive when everyone is going to be going crazy?! How are we going to have a beautiful wedding when our friends are going to show up and want to kill us?!"

"Please calm down. Only sorrow will come from worrying so much. I promise you that everything will be fine. Believe me, you've survived from much worse than what's about to happen. And anyway, we must take our spots as rulers as soon as possible. Once that has been accomplished, our entire family will be as safe as you were when you were human."

"I wasn't very safe back then, either," I muttered, staring down at the ground.

"Victoria, please look up. Please, I beg of you not to lose faith in me," he whispered, lifting my chin up to look at him.

"Fine. But I can't guarantee that I'm going to be happy while any of this is going on."

"All I ask of you is that you try, my love. I will always be here and I don't want you to worry or to be scared. We will all be fine and our wedding will be perfect."

"Okay, I believe you."

"Now," he said, looking around to the others, "Victoria and I must make our rounds and make sure that everyone knows where they stand. We must make sure that everyone knows we are now in reign."

"Dante, where is John?" I asked, staring at Allison.

"Your father took care of him."

"What do you mean? Wait, what was up with him anyway? You know, being half-dead must have affected my memory a little bit," I said sarcastically.

"As I told you with April-John had certain powers that he obtained from years of practice. He learned how to shape-shift but he could only turn into one creature-the dragon."

"But, how could he grab my lungs like that? I just didn't understand any of it and I still don't. How did dad kill him? Where's he now? What did he want with Allison-"

"Wow, one question at a time," Dante laughed. "First of all, he had a very strong mind, which is what he used to attack you. He grabbed your lungs with his mind and that's why you and your father could stop him."

"I see. So, his brain was pretty much extremely strong, then? So, he could shape-shift and control with his mind."

"Exactly. Now, your father killed him by shaping into his own creature-the grizzly bear. As you have seen, those animals are quite large."

"But, a bear wouldn't have a chance against a dragon."

"No, not a regular bear-but you're forgetting how powerful your father is. No amount of years put into practice for a vampire could equal the intensity that a darkling holds in his mind."

"Yeah, that's right, kid. I guess your dad is pretty damn strong," my father said, walking up and sticking his chest out. I gave him an odd look and he slumped back down, laughing softly.

"So then, what did you do with his body?"

"We burned it, of course. We can't very well have him piecing his body back together, can we?" Dante said.

"Okay, that makes sense. But, what did he want with Allison? I didn't even think she talked to the elders all that much."

"He wanted my blood," she muttered, walking forward to face me. My eye widened, but I now understood what Dante was talking about. If we wouldn't have shown up, she would have been killed.

"But wouldn't John's mind be strong enough to fight off the urge?"

"That's a good question," Dante started, "But another thing I have forgotten to explain to you is that every time a vampire uses a learned power, it drains our blood-supply. It's almost like how you need sleep to re-fuel your system. Well, we need blood, of course."

Wow, this was all too interesting for me. I knew I was a vampire now, but I wasn't a _true_ vampire like Dante and my mother were. I was a hybrid, so my needs were quite different than theirs. Every time I used my powers, I was completely fine and ready to use them again-well, all except my healing powers.

"Then, I would prefer if you didn't use your powers, anymore, Dante," I said softly.

"Oh, my love, the powers you have given me are much different than the powers John held. I didn't learn these on my own, they were acquired, which makes them _mine_. They are a part of my body, soul, and mind now. I do not need blood to fuel them-they fuel themselves, just as yours do."

"Wow, well, that's good to hear. At least I know you won't be trying to kill me any time soon," I chuckled. But something struck me. What about my mother?

I stood there for a moment in Dante's arms, staring at the fibers that made up his shirt, and tried to picture what was going to happen. I pictured the entire house running after one-another and a complete blood-bath ensuing.

"What are you thinking of?" He asked, peaking down at me.

"What about mom?"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't she going to start wanting our blood, soon?"

"Considering your mother hasn't ever tasted blood; that would be a 'no.'"

"So, since she hasn't ever tasted blood, she won't feel the need to drink any of ours?"

"Precisely. She can smell our blood, of course, but she isn't desperate for the taste of it, since she's never experienced drinking it."

"Would you prefer us to leave?" Summer asked.

"You may leave if you want, but we are not going to force departure upon you. You are our friends and I trust you completely."

"We will stay for a little longer, but once things start to lose control, we will leave."

"Very well, but I hope that you won't feel obligated to leave. Victoria and I will leave first thing tomorrow morning to announce our reign and we will return later, hoping to find you staying here."

"I'm sure that we will be staying until this ordeal is over," Allison stated.

"Where is Michelle?" I blurted out.

Instantly, Allison broke down, falling to her knees. I ran over and grabbed her shoulders, hugging her tightly and staring at Dante.

He shook his head from side-to-side slowly and I understood. She had been taken. I couldn't believe it. How could someone kill such a nice, caring, innocent girl?

"I'm so sorry," I whispered in her ear.

"It's….ok….it was….her fault…." She said, breathlessly.

"Her fault?" I muttered.

"She went after John. She was the reason he attacked me. Sure, he wanted my blood, but he mostly wanted revenge. She died because _she_ wanted _his_ blood."

"Why would she do that?! She knew how powerful he was."

"I don't know. She was going crazy for awhile and she just couldn't stand it anymore. He was the closest person to her other than me and of course she wouldn't try to kill her own sister."

_This just keeps getting deeper, doesn't it?_ I asked Dante in my head.

_There's much more to this story,_ he responded.


End file.
